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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · stand · object · prune · scale · ground · staff · dip

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. object — to protest
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. object — a thing
  8. charge — in control
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. object — an aim
  11. staff — a stick
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — a position
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com